The probable arrival of the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean in 2023 could herald a colder than usual summer in Quebec.
This is at least what Meteomedia weather presenter Patrick de Bellefeuille mentioned in an interview with Richard Martineau on QUB radio on Wednesday.
“We know that we spent three years, with the La Niña phenomenon which was well established, it gave us summers with still good heat waves”, exposed the one who is also an expert in climate change.
La Niña is characterized by abnormally cold surface waters in the Pacific that disrupt the climate. Its “little brother”, El Niño, is instead characterized by warmer than average surface waters.
Weather models now suggest a change from La Niña to El Niño, but the extent of the phenomenon is not yet known, tempered Patrick de Bellefeuille.
“We are not yet in El Niño and we do not yet know its intensity,” he said.
Quebecers who are already despairing at the thought of a cold summer should not worry either.
“Historically speaking, if you look at what happens when you go from La Niña to El Niño, it doesn’t look so good, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a freezing summer. We are still going to have good periods of heat, good periods of good weather. Perhaps not as many heat waves as we are used to experiencing, but it will not be a summer that will be ruined, ”assured the expert.